Great Island Inn

My husband Ray and I had an overnight getaway at the Great Island Inn this weekend. The apartment, Unit 1 was immaculate, well designed, and had beautiful contemporary decor with state of the art appliances in the well equipped kitchen and modern, spacious bathroom. It was very quiet and comfortable. Everything was as described. We loved the charm of New Castle and we enjoyed how close the Inn was to a scenic walk to a beach. The location is great, an 8 minute drive over the. bridge to Portsmouth, where we went to enjoy Cava, a charming tapas restaurant before going to Jimmy's Jazz Club to see Arturo Sandoval and his band, which was excellent. Doug, the proprietor, sent clear and specific instructions for self-check in, as well as offering for us to call with any needs or questions. He also lives close to the property. On the Inn website, he gave information about restaurants and other activities. He recommended Cava, which we loved, and also a lovely breakfast place, The Islander Cafe, literally a 1 minute walk from the Inn. Cozy, friendly atmosphere and delicious breakfast options. It was wonderful to be close to Portsmouth but also have the quiet and serenity of New Castle. We plan to return for a longer period. We highly recommend Great Castle Inn!

We had a pet friendly room with street access. Super clean and nicely remodeled. The shower was fantastic for person with bad knees :). The only downside is king size bed is too large for available space so getting around the bed was difficult and side tables very small. The room shares a wall with a small restaurant but noise was not an issue and it was super convenient for breakfast. The location is great with lots of sights within walking distance and good access to Portsmouth and Kittery. Smash like and follow if you found this review helpful.

We loved our three day stay at the Great Island Inn! Our room was large, well designed and decorated with a comfortable King sized mattress and bedding. The room included a kitchen and in-room laundry as well. Also, just downstairs was a cafe that had delicious baked goods, breakfast sandwiches and salads. The island is quiet and peaceful and Portsmouth is about a 10 minute drive away. We would definitely stay here again!

I cannot recommend Great Island Inn enough; it was fantastic! Everything about it: the communication, the check-in procedure, the cleanliness, the amenities, was perfect! Additionally, the staff was very quick to respond after hours to any inquiries. The surrounding neighborhood is very charming and peaceful and it is very easy to get to Portsmouth/Kittery. As an added bonus, there is a very good cafe right next door. Look no further than the Great Island Inn, you won't regret it!

We LOVED our room; spacious, updated, kitchen (though we didn’t use it) is cool to have, big enough bathroom w/ a tub (and Laundry stack), impressive. IT WAS PERFECT. Service: big shout-out to Milena who answered the phone after hours to clarify/rectify something. THANK YOU:) Location: Just exquisite, a 5 min drive (or 45 min walk) to Portsmouth. Easy.

We stayed in Apt. #1 for 2 nights. It was spacious, clean, well lit and tastefully decorated. Kitchen was stocked with everything we needed. We were thrilled to have a washer and dryer in the unit as we had been traveling for awhile. The location is safe and quiet and included a reserved parking space. There is even a cute cafe on the corner for breakfast and lunch. The ONLY reason I can't give 5 stars is that I could hear the folks in the unit above me walking around. It was annoying when I was trying to sleep. I wasn't fan of hearing every footfall made above. Other than that, perfect.

We had a wonderful stay at this charming inn! The staff were incredibly friendly and made us feel right at home from the moment we arrived. Everything was spotless — from the rooms to the common areas — which made for a very comfortable experience. The location couldn’t be better, with shops, restaurants, and attractions all within walking distance. Highly recommend for anyone visiting the area! We will be back!

We had a mixed stay at Great Island Inn. It's a beautiful place in a beautiful, historic area. But, if you're a light sleeper, this may not be the place for you. Sound travels in the building and you can hear street noise as if it's in your room. So in room 2 on the ground floor we had a very late night and earlier than we wanted wake up times. The kitchen is well equipped and there's a cute coffee shop around the corner with fabulous baked goods.

A great find. Part of me did wonder if it was going to turn out to be too good to be true, but not at all - it's a great room, clean, well maintained, in a nice walkable neighborhood with a public beach right around the corner. A Smeg fridge! A real coffee maker, not the K-cup nonsense. The check in and check out instructions were easy, and the place is very easy to find. Definitely recommended, and we plan to come back.

This was an absolutely great find. On Hotel Tonight, the app, you can be very lucky with what comes up and you never know what you'll find. Not sure if it's because of the season (probably because of the season LOL) but the room price was incredibly reasonable. It was between this place & the Howard Johnson's. No offense to Howard Johnsons, but this place kind of like, blew it out of the water you could say. I got this room on short notice because I had to be in the area and I didn't have a lot of time to find a place to stay. I didn't do much research before booking it, but that was no problem because it turned out to be perfect. Upon entry you see that it is an adorable house, kind of like a bed-and-breakfast but without the breakfast part. Although I found that I didn't need it. The proprietor, Doug, was very friendly and helpful upon giving me the code to enter the house. He explained that there were restaurant recommendations and further explanations of the amenities on the yellow sheet of paper on the table in the middle of the room. That would be very helpful to out-of-towners. When you walk into the space, you enter into a living room area, at least in my room. It's small but perfectly furnished with a love seat and a comfortable black rattan chair. A small dining tables behind it with a kitchen immediately to your right. The kitchen was well outfitted with anything you might need to cook. Behind all this was a bed, I think it was a queen size, may have been a king, wasn't really paying attention but it was beautiful with lovely linen and perfect throw pillows. The bathroom was a large with a washer dryer which should be fantastic for extended-stay guests. The whole place looks brand new and was immaculately kept and smelled fantastic. Everything worked, as far as the black out curtains that you could pull down, the TV, the heat etc. He also has a good selection of liquor wine and beer for purchase in the room at modest prices. Everything was great, the only two things I would suggest would be to stock coffee for the morning with the coffee maker. There's creamers in the fridge which is kind of a tease considering there's no coffee, as a coffee junkie I was a little disappointed, but the place is great I definitely could look past it. Also in the bathroom the bathtub stopper did not work so I couldn't take a bath and the water pressure was pretty bad. These were definitely not something that would steer me away from staying here again however. The proprietor looked as if he would be right on it the second anyone mentioned something defective in the room. As I've said before, I would recommend this hotel to anyone in the area. It's really cute, really clean, in a great area, with a wonderful owner. Definitely check it out and enjoy your stay :-)

This is one of the nicest and most well appointed places to stay if you are coming to Portsmouth or New England for a visit. Doug and or his designers did a fantastic job. It is so relaxing and so nice to be in a comfortable room when away from home. As a side note, if you have ever written a review of a hotel and wished your bedroom was as comfortable it means you need a new mattress and let me say that you should always miss your bed more than you miss a bed from a trip. With that said the linens and mattress are very nice. Since I was referred to the Great Island Inn by a local business owner, I was not aware that it functions like an Airbnb. Doug is very responsive and if there is anything missing I am certain he would make every attempt to make sure your stay is so comfortable that you too will soon be writing a positive review. Skip Boston and head up to Portsmouth, Kittery, Portland, and Burlington. Do not, I repeat, do not forget to stop off at Lil's in Kittery. You are welcome for recommending Lil's.

I can't say enough amazing things about this place! I will stay here every time I come to Portsmouth! No it's not walking distance but it's a quick Uber or drive away at only 3 miles to town. The place is just cozy, clean, convenient, practical.. every single thing you could want in a short or long term stay! I just fell in love with it from the minute we drove up! Thank you Great Island Inn! We will definitely be back!

D&D have done it again!! First they stirred up the Portsmouth hotel scene with the Ale House and the Hotel Portsmouth, and now they've branched out to New Castle with the impeccable Great Island Inn. The inn consists of 6 apartment-style suites (2 per floor; 4 kings and 2 queens), each outfitted with everything you need: a full kitchen (including a real fridge, stove, microwave, and dishwasher), living room and bedroom areas, and a bathroom with a washer/dryer and deep soaker tub. I have lived in many apartments that can't claim all that. All the awkwardness of a B&B is gone- there is no front desk, no nosy host or forced meals. What is left is a relaxing home away from home with the smell of fresh salt air (and an innkeeper one phone call away if needed). If you don't want to cook, head right downstairs to Henrys' for a delicious cinnamon bun or breakfast burrito and a latte. Prefer to cook outside? Hang out on the beautifully designed shared patio. Hint hint: Seaport Fish is a short drive away and has the best crab cakes and salmon burgers to throw on the grill ;). Great Island Common is a short and beautiful walk away... We stayed at the Inn for 10 nights and went to the beach every single day. I will absolutely be recommending this place for everyone who is coming to visit us!

I can't even explain how happy I am to have found this little gem. I'm usually not a fan of nautical themes but this was so tasteful and thought out. The care put behind the decor and amenities made it a home away from home; from pots and knives to beach chairs to laundry detergent. Checking in and out is unbelievably easy. Doug has supplied a variety of beverages and snacks at a more than fair price. The beach is a quick walk away. Doug also provided many recommendations and I couldn't be more thankful after trying the friendly toast. The Inn really made coming back home to New Hampshire after a few years extra warm and welcoming especially during a cold rainy week. I look forward to revisiting, it was my girlfriend's first time in New England and she's already talking about coming back and checking out your Rye Motor Inn. Thank you for investing in sharing the beauty of New Hampshire.

I found out about the Great Island Inn from Instagram through a friend. I liked the look and vibe and was able to get a room for the long weekend. Ive traveled via Air BnB and liked the idea of the kitchen. As a solo traveler Im more into making meals in the room and not having to trek out and explore the food scene. keep in mind Im talking simple stuff like fresh fruit, yogurt, and snacks. Im sure you could make a full dinner too if you wanted. Lets just say I want this kitchen in my own apt. Super cool and the frig was a nice touch. The stackable washer and dryer set was nice. No need to return with dirty cloths- Loved having the windows open and feel the breeze. Its nice and quiet since this isnt in a busy area so my nights were perfect. Was glad I brought my running gear with me since New Castle has some amazing scenes. It was great to explore in the am with a run and then hit some sites like downtown Portsmouth thats a 5 min drive away. Im making a return visit for the Fall for sure.

This place is a hidden gem. It is an old house that has been made into an inn and done incredibly well. The decorations are modern, yet totally in line with New England. The rooms are quiet and laid out very well and have all the little details taken care of. There was not a speck of dust or dirt anywhere. We loved staying here. The location is gorgeous and it was a 9-minute drive to downtown Portsmouth. Love, love, love this place.

Modern studio with all the amenities! Historic inn near the Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse. My wife and I stayed here for two weekend nights. We really liked the quaintness of New Castle and the ability to just walk around the area without a lot of traffic or noise. The studio room was up-to-date with wood tiled floors, large-screen cable TV, small kitchen, and bathroom. Owner Doug went out of his way to make us feel welcome despite not being on premise and we never wanted for anything while we stayed because the room had pretty much everything we needed. Would definitely recommend this place to a friend.

This wonderful find was the perfect place for my boyfriend and I on our anniversary. It's beautiful, clean, calming atmosphere will have you feeling at home in no time. When I say I clean I mean immaculate. The beds are extremely comfortable, even at 5 months pregnant I could sleep like a baby. Wish I could live here. The innkeeper is a sweetheart. Checking in late wasn't a problem at all. Will definitely be returning and telling friends to try it! The toiletries are awesome, all you need to bring is body lotion, there was shampoo, conditioner, body wash and soap, which I will be purchasing on line they were so impressive. Thanks Doug!

Brand new property, opened a month ago. Exceptionally well done. Nice bathroom. Comfortable bed and furnishings. Washer/dryer if you need. Kitchenette too. Very clean and close to beach. Reasonably priced bar and snacks - $20 for Red Hook variety 12 pack beer. Spoke with the owner who was accommodating upon reservation and available if needed. Henry's next door good for breakfast too. Will be back!